Fuel control device



M. HANSEN ETAL FUEL CONTROL DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1941 MAIN FUEL :3

TANK

FIG. I

2s 72 7| F 45 i zs 49 47 5 '1 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 R RT K.

A ATTORNEYS.

Feb-Q23, 1943. H E 2,311,828

FUEL: CONTROL DEVICE I Filed Jan. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR: MERLIN I HANSEN ATTORNEYS.

R0 T K BY FIG.4

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 2,311,828 FUEL ooN'moL DEVICE Merlin Hansen and Robert K. Hall, Waterloo,

Iowa, assignors to John Deere Tractor Company, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application January 16, 194i, Serial No. 374,664

Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels to a fuel burning apparatus, and is in the nature of an improvement over a device of a similar nature, disclosed in application Serial No. 366,559, filed by Merlin Hansen on November 22, 1940.

The principal object of this invention relates to the provision of an improved fuel selective control device which is more compact than that shown in the above-mentioned co-pending application.

This control device is applicable to any fuel burning apparatus which uses a comparatively high grade fuel for starting purposes and is then switched over to a comparatively low grade inexpensive fuel for normal operation, and is advantageously employed'on internal combustion engines, which are expected to-operate for extended periods of time at appreciably full load, such as, for example, engines in tractors or other vehicles which tow heavy loads for extended periods of times In this kind of service it is sometimes necessary to let the vehicle stand with the engine idling for extended periods, but it is well-known to those skilled in the art that when an internal combustion engine of the aspiration type is allowed to idle long enough for the engine to cool down, the carburation of the low grade fuel is impaired and the engine will very likely stall either during idling, or as soon as it is attemptedto make the engine assume its normal load once again. In the abovementioned co-pending application, a control device is disclosed which automatically shifts the control of the fuel from the low grade fuel oil to thehigh grade fuel, such as gasoline, which is carried on the vehicle 'for starting purposes. When the engine is loaded once more, the control device automatically shifts the control of the fuel from the gasoline back to the fuel oil operation.

It sometimes happens that for some reason, the operator prefers to operate solely on one or the other types of fuel, as, for example, in the event that the supply of gasoline should be exhausted, it would be necessary to run the engine on fuel oil at all times whether loaded or idle. If the supply of fuel oil sh6uld become exhausted, it would be necessary to bring the vehicle in on the higher grade fuel. I

A further object of the present invention, therefore, relates to the provision of a manually controlled means for maintaining the connection with either the main fuel tank or the auxiliary fuel tank, regardless of the demand from the engine for one or the other types of fuel.

The usual method of stopping an engine of this type is to turn off the supply of fuel and allow the fuel in the carburetor and ducts to become exhausted in order that they will be ready to be filled with gasoline whenthe engine is started again. It is another object, therefore, to provide a, manual control lever having a shutoff position in which the supplies of both fuels are interrupted,

As in the device disclosedflin the above-mentioned co-pending application, the selective control device is actuated by a pressure responsive member disposed in communication with the intake passage or manifold of the engine, and

adapted to shift the control valves from fuel oil to gasoline operation when the pressure in the intake manifold drops to a predetermined amount below atmospheric pressure, as when the throttle is nearly closed and the engine is idling. Conversely, when the throttle is opened and the pressure in the manifold rises to nearly atmospheric pressure, the control device shifts the contro1 of the fuel back from gasoline to fuel oil operation. I

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a consideration of the following description in which reference is had to the drawings appended hereto, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the carburetor of the engine, the selective fuel control device, and the connections between the latter and the main and auxiliary fuel tanks, the control device being shown in section as taken along a line I--l in Figure 2 through one of the fuel valves;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the selective fuel control device, taken in section along a line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view taken in section along a line 33 in Figure 1, showing the details of the valves; and

Figure 4 is an elevational sectional view taken along the center line of the fuel control device, as indicated by a line 4-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view, on a smaller scale, of an internal combustion engine and a fuel-feeding device embodying the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the internal combustion engine of the preferred embodiment, is represented by reference numeral 3, and includes a carburetor 5, of any suitable design.

and which is rigidly connected to an intake passage 6 leading to a manifold 4, through which the carbureted mixture is conducted to the cylinders of the engine. The liquid fuel is conducted to the carburetor through a duct 1 and the fuel is atomized in the usual manner in the carburetor 5. The fuel mixture is controlled by means of a conventional damper or throttle valve 8, which is supported on a shaft 9 within the intake passage 6. The shaft 9 is journaled in the carburetor walls and is controlled by means of a throttle lever l6 disposed outside the carburetor.

A supply of comparatively low grade, inexpensive fuel is contained within a main fuel tank H, from which it is drawn through a suitable duct l2, and a supply of comparatively high grade fuel, such as gasoline, is contained within an auxiliary fuel tank l3, from which it is drawn through a duct or conduit |4..

The selective control of the feeding of fuel from the main and auxiliary fuel tanks ll 3 to the carburetor intake duct 1 is accomplished by means of a selective feed control device, indicated generally by reference numeral 20, comprising a housing 2| having one open side which is adapted to be closed by a cover plate 22 fastened by screws 23. The carburetor intake conduit 1 is attached to the cover 22 by-a suitable fitting 24 and communicates with the interior 25 of the housing 2|. Each of the supply conduits l2, H from the main and auxiliary fuel tanks, respectively. is connected to the housing 2| by means of suitable bushings 26, 21, respectively, which communicate with a pair of vertically disposed passages 28, 29, intersecting at their lower ends with a pair of laterally spaced parallel horizontal passages 30, 3|. respectively. Each of the vertical passages 28, 29 is provided with a straining screen 32 for preventing foreign matter from entering the carburetor.

The flow of fuel in the conduits I2, I4 is controlled by a pair of valves 35, 36 disposed in the horizontal intersecting conduits 30, 3|, respectively. Each of the valves 35, 36 comprises a port member 31, which is threaded into the horizontal passage and has a restricted aperture 38 at the inner end thereof. The portmember 31 has a cyl ndrical bore 39, within which is disposed a valve pin 46. the inner end of which is tapered. as at 4|, for insertion into the aperture 38 of the port member to act as a closure therefor for preventing flow of fuel therethrough. Each of the valve pins 40 is slidable axially within the bore 39 into and out of seatin engagement in the aperture 38, and each of the pins 40 is of triangular cross section to permit flow of fuel through the bore 39 past the valve pins into the interior chamber 25 of the housing 2|. The pins 40 extend out of the port members 31 to provide actuating stems for forcing the pins into seating engagement for closing the valves.

The valves are actuated by means of a rock shaft which is vertically disposed within the chamber 25 and journaled at its upper and lower nds in the'walls of the housing 2|. A pair of oppositelv extending valve actuating arms 46, 41 are fashi ned from a stri of s ring metal and the intermedi e portion of the strip closely embraces a sleeve 48 fixed to the rock shaft 45 and is clam ed to the sleeve 48 bv means of a clip 49, hich i r erablv welded to the strip and to the sleeve 48. The clip 49 is pro ided with a air of positel extending rms 50 di osed adjacent the spring arms 46, 41, respectively, and acts to retract the spring arms 46, 41 in order to release the valve members 40 from the port 38, the ends of the arms 46, 4'! being bent over the ends of the arms 56 for this purpose, as at 5|. Thus it is evident that when the rock shaft 45 is rocked in one direction, the spring arm 41 presses against the stem of the valve member 40 to force the tapered end into the aperture 38 and thus preventing the flow of gasoline through the duct l4 from the auxiliary fuel tank and at the same time.

swinging the spring arm 46 away from the .valve pin 4!) of the fuel oil valve 35 and thus permitting the fuel oil to flow from the main tank II and through the aperture 38 of the valve 35, the pressure of the flow of fuel being sufficient to shift the valve pin outwardly.

The rock shaft 45 is rocked by means of a control device 55, which is responsive to changes of pressure in the intake duct 6 of the internal combustion engine. The pressure responsive device 55 comprises a diaphragm 56, which is disposed in clamped relation between a pair of cup shaped sheet metal cases 51, 58, each of which has a flange 59 between which the diaphragm 56 is c amped. The flange 59 of one-half of the casing 51 is wider than the other flange and is adapted to be bent over the latter to tightly secure the diaphragm between the flanges 59 in sealedrelation to prevent any flow of gas or liquid from one side of the diaphragm to the other. The outer portion 58 of the case is provided with a tubular neck 60, in the outer end of which a conduit BI is tightly secured by means of a bushing 62 threaded into the end of the neck 60. The opposite end of the conduit 6| is connected to the intake passage 6 or manifold of the internal combustion engine by means of a suitable fitting 63. Thus the chamber 64 on the outer side of the diaphragm 56 is connected in communication with the intake passage 6, whereupon the diaphragm 56, which is formed of suitable thin, flexible material, such as fibre or spring metal, is shiftable axially within the casing 55, responsive to changes in pressure in the manifold.

A coil spring 65 acts in compression between the diaphragm 56 and the bushing 62 and tends to urge the diaphragm in a direction toward the rock shaft 45. When the pressure in the manifold decreases appreciably below atmospheric, however. the atmospheric pressure tends to force the diaphragm 56 against the action of thecompression spring 65.

The casing 55 is rigidly secured to the housing 2| and has an opening 10 disposed in register with a passage H in the housing 2| leading to the chamber 25. The diaphragm 56 is mechanically connected to rock the rock shaft 45 by means of a reciprocable actuating rod 12 securely fixed to the diaphragm 56 near the center thereof, and having an upwardly turned hook 13 at the opposite end which engages a hole 14 in the plate 15, which is formed integral with the clip 49. The hole I4 is offset to one side of the rock shaft 45 to provide a leverage against the latter so that the spring 65 acts through the rod 12 to force the rock shaft into the position shown in the drawings and thus to normally hold the rock shaft in a position in which the gasoline valve 36 is closed and the fuel oil valve 35 is open.

During normal operation under approximately full load. the throttle valve 8 is in an almost wide open position, which causes the pressure in the intake passage 6 to rise to nearly atmospheric pressure, and thus allowing the spring 65 to maintain the rock shaft 45 in the position described above. When the engine is idling, the throttle valve 8 is nearly closed, causing an appreciable drop in pressure in the intake passage 6. Inasmuch as the fuel in the housing 2| is under atmospheric pressure and is in contact with the side of the diaphragm 56 opposite to the spring 65, a reduction in pressure in the chamber 64 causes the diaphragm'to-be forced against the spring 65, compressing the latter and exerting a tension upon the actuating rod 12. This force is transmitted through the hook 13 to the plate 15 and thereby rocking the rock shaft 45 to a position in which the fuel oil valve 35 is closed and the gasoline valve 36 is opened. Thus, whenever the engine idles, the selective control device switches the' fuel from low grade has cooled down to the temperature which is maintained during idling, the gasoline has displaced the fuel oil in the housing 2| and the conduits connected thereto. When the engine is loaded once more,-the control device switches back to fuel oil operation and by the time the fuel oil has filled the housing and passages, the engine is warm enough to prevent it from stalling.

At times it is desirable to prevent the fuel control device from shifting from one .fuel to the other, as, for instance, when one of the fuel supplies is exhausted, in which case it is necessary to maintain an uninterrupted flow of the other fuel to the engine. This is accomplished by means for locking the rock shaft 45 in one position or another by means which will now be described. 1 g

A hand lever 80 is fixed by means of a set screw 8| at the upper end of a control rod 82, which is journaled in a bushing 83 threaded into an aperture 84 in the top wall of the housing 2|. The control rod 82 extends. downwardly into the valve chamber and is curved at its lower end to provide a crank arm 86. The lower end of the crank arm 86 projects into a comparatively large triangular opening 81 in the plate 15, thus providing a lost motion connection between the control rod 82 and the rock shaft 45. The opening 81 is large enough to permit the rock shaft and plate l5 to rock back and forth during automatic operation under control'of the pressure responsive diaphragm 56 without interference by the crank arm 86 when the latter is in a central or neutral position. However, when the handle 80 is turned in one direction or the other, the

crank arm 86 engages one side or the other of the opening 81 and thereby rocking the rock shaft and holding the latter in its extreme position to thereby hold one of the fuel valves open and the other closed, depending upon which way the handle 80 is turned.

Referring to Figure 2, the crank arm 86 is in full automatic position, in which the plate 15 can be rocked in either direction to hold either of the fuel valves 35, 36 closed without interference by the crank arm. By rotating the rod 82 approximately 90 degrees in a clockwise direction, the crank arm 86 engages the edge of the opening 81 to hold the plate in the position shown. which is the position in which the main tank H is connected with the engine for fuel oil operation. By swinging the crank arm 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction, the plate is moved to the position in which valve 35 is closed and valve 36 opened. thus providing for gasoline operation. By swinging the crank arm 180 degrees, the latter engages the vertex 9| of 'to high grade fuel, and by the time the engine the opening 81, thus retaining the plate in its midposition, in which both of the spring arms 46, 41 engagethe stems of the valve pins 40, holding them both closed, in which position the engine will stop as soon as the fuel in the chamber 25, duct 1, and carburetor 5 is exhausted. Then, the engine can be restarted in a cold condition by turning the crank arm 86 to its gaso- .'line feeding position to fill the valve chamber and carburetor with gasoline.

To prevent the fuel in the chamber 25 from leaking out'along the control rod 82, some packing material 88 is provided at the upper end of the bushing-83, around the control rod 82 and is held in place by a'packing nut 85.

We claim:

.1. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of twT) fuels, comprising a pair of valves each including a movable member lm'ving a stem, a rock shaft a pair of arms fixed to said shaft and engageable with said valve stems to close one valveand open the other when said rock shaft is rocked in one direction, and vice versa, and a pressure responsive device connected to rock said shaft.

2. A. device for selectivelycontrolling the feed ing of either of two fuels, comprising a pair of valves each including a movable member having a stem, 2. rock shaft, a pair of arms fixed to said shaft and engageable with said valve stems to close one valve and open the other when said rock shaftis rocked in one direction, and vice versa, a pressure responsive device connected to rock said shaft, and manually actuated control means engageable with said rock shaft to hold the latter in either rocked position.

3. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels, comprising a housing, a pair of valves 'disposed parallel and having shiftable valve members provided with stems for actuating the latter, a rock shaft journaled in said housing, a pair of arms fixed to said shaft and extending therefrom in opposite directions into engagement with said valve stems, respectively, to move said valves in opposite directions when said shaft is rocked, and a pressure responsive device connected to rock said rock shaft.

4. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels, comprising a housing, a pair of valves disposed parallel and having shiftable valve members provided with stems for actuating the latter, a rock shaft journaled in said housing, a pair of arms fixed to said shaft and extending therefrom in opposite directions into engagement with said valve stems, respectively, to move said valves in opposite directions when said shaft is rocked, a pressure responsive device connected to rock said rock shaft, and a manually actuated lever having a lost motion connection with said rock shaft, for holding the latter in either rocked position.

5. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels, comprising a pair of valves each including a movable member having a stem, an oscillating member connected with said valve stems and adapted to open one of said valves and close the other when said member is oscillated in one direction, and vice versa, a control device for oscillating said member responsive to an operating condition in a fuel burning apparatus to which said fuel valves are adapted to be connected. and a manually controlled lever engageable with said oscillating member for holding the latter in fixed-position.

6. A device for selectively controlling the feed- 1 manually controlled lever having a lost motion connection with said oscillating member for locking the latter in a certain position.

7. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels, comprising a pair of valves each including a movable member having a stem, an oscillating member connected with 7 said valve stems and adapted to open one of said valves and close the other when said member is oscillated in one direction, and vice versa, a control device comprising a chamber and a pressure controlled member reciprocable within said chamber, means connecting said pressure controlled member with said oscillating member to rock-the latter, and a manually controlled lever having a lost motion connection with said oscillating member for locking the latter in a certain position.

8. A device for selectively controlling the feed ing of either of two fuels, comprising a housing, a pair of valves disposed side by side in generally parallel arrangement and having a pair of valve stems projecting therefrom for actuating the valves, a rock shaft journaled in said housing between said valves and generally perpendicular thereto, a pair of arms extending from said rock shaft in relatively opposite directions and adapted 'to engage said stems, whereby when said rock shaft is rocked in one direction, one of the valves is openedand the other closed, and vice versa,\and a pressure responsive device;connected to said rock shaft to rock the latter.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, further characterized by a hand operated lever mounted on said housing and having a lost motion connection with said rock shaft and adapted to permit free rocking movement of said rock shaft when the lever is in a neutral position, and to rock said shaft in either direction under manual control and to hold the same in either Position independent of the action of said pressure responsive device.

10. In fuel control mechanism, the combination of means for selectively feedingtwo fuels. means responsive to certain operating conditions for controlling said feeding means, and a manually actuated control means for locking said control means in adjusted position.

11. In fuel control mechanism, the combination of means for selectively controlling the feeding of two fuels, means responsive to changes in certain operating conditions for shiftingthe control from one fuel to the other, and manual control means for actuating said selective control means independent of said control shifting means.

12. In fuel control mechanism, the combination of means for selectively controlling the feeding of two fuels, pressure responsive means for governing said control means, and a manual control lever for shifting said selective control means and for locking the latter in adjusted position against actuation by said pressure responsive means.

13. In fuel control mechanism, the combination of means for'selectively feeding two fuels, means responsive to certain operating conditions for controlling said feeding means, and manually actuated means for optionally holding said control means in positions for feeding either of said fuels, respectively, or in a position in which both of said fuels are shut off.

14.'In fuel control mechanism, the combination of means for selectively controlling the feeding of two fuels, pressure responsive means for governing said control means, and a manual control lever connected with said selective control means for optionally shifting the latter between-positions for feeding either of said fuels, respectively, or a position in which both of said fuel supplies are shut off.

15. A device for selectively controlling the feeding of either of two fuels, comprising a pair of valves each including a movable valve member, an oscillating member engageable with said valve members to hold both of the latter closed in a midposition and adapted to open one of said valves and close the other when said oscillating member is oscillated. in one direction, and vice versa, a control device comprising a chamber and a pressure controlled member reciprocable within said chamber, means connecting said pressure controlled member with said oscillating member to rock the latter, and a manually controlled lever having a lost motion connection with said oscillating member for locking the latter in a'certain position.

- IWERLIN HANSEN.

ROBERT K. HALL.

DISCLAIMER '2,311,828.-Merlin Hansen and Robert K. Hall, Waterloo, Iowa. FUEL CONTROL DEVICE. Patent dated February 23, 1943 Disclaimer filed July 10, 1944, by the assignee, John Deere Tractor Company.

Hereby enters this disclaii'ner to claimll of said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette August 8, 1944.] 

